Page 14 of Desired By the Dragon

Reluctantly, I stood from my seat and placed the apple I’d taken but not touched back in the fruit bowl left out for staff. I was only truly hungry for one thing.

The corridors were fairly quiet, a few students running late to classes or ambling to the library at a sedate pace, though anyone I encountered steered clear of me.

Apparently, I had a reputation.

I liked to think I was firm but fair, and if you worked hard in my class you would succeed. Taylor had told me that I wasn’t far off, but that a lot of students categorized me as ‘grumpy’.

Like I was an old man, or something, rather than a hundred-year-old dragon. I was patient, mostly, and I’d never set anyone on fire in my classroom. What more did they want from me?

I rounded a corner, my shiny shoes squeaking as I pivoted to avoid colliding with a student. Her mouth opened and a little eee of surprise flew out of her before she stammered her apology and rushed away.

Maybe Taylor had a point.

The next student I came across on my way back to my office, I smiled at. This seemed to unnerve them more, however.

He darted glances at me as we passed each other, throwing a narrow eyed look over his shoulder like he expected me to pounce at any moment. I rolled my eyes.

Whatever. I had a stack of papers waiting for me to grade and no real desire to pander to the whims of students who would be gone in a year or two anyway.

The door to my office was closed and opened with ease, the familiar smell of books and paper falling over me, along with something sweet and floral that made me pause. My eyes finally caught up with my nose and my breath caught in my throat, unsure if I’d somehow moved on to hallucinating her.

If this was a dream… I wasn’t sure I wanted to wake up.

“Max.”

The sound of my name on her lips hit me like a physical blow and I steadied myself with the edge of my desk, hoping the move looked casual. “Kiernan.” I drank her in, the slightly wind-swept state of her red hair, the pink flush high in her cheeks from the cold air outside, like she’d walked here at pace with the express intent to find me. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

After a moment’s hesitation, I rounded the desk and sat down in my high-backed chair before gesturing to the chair across from me. She eyed it and then opted to remain standing, making my lips quirk. This ought to be good.

“Your colleague said I could wait for you in here,” she said, as if that explained why she was here.

“Did you change your mind?” I tried to keep the words casual, as if every nerve ending in my body wasn’t attuned to her response as hope reared its ugly head. “About having some help during the heat?” I clarified, and heard her breathing speed up.

“No.” The word was sharp, like she was telling herself more than me. “I came to apologize for the way I acted at the Crow’s Nest the other day. It was rude, and unlike me. So, I’m sorry.” Her hands clenched at her sides and I tracked the movement with a flick of my eyes, acknowledging it even though it probably pissed her off to have her tells so clearly on show. “Okay, well. I’ve said sorry so I’m going to just⁠—”

I leaned back in my chair, resting my chin in my palm on the armrest as I watched her steadily. “You’re telling me you came out all this way because you don’t want to sleep with me?” A chuckle slipped free. “That’s a new one.”

Her eyes flashed and there had to be something wrong with me, because the more irritated she became, the harder I got. “I didn’t come here for… that.” She couldn’t even say the words, and I knew it was because she was suffering just as much as me. If she dared to even put the thought out into the room, it could be made real. And then…

Well, we would both break.

I let her off the hook. “Sure, my mistake. I appreciate the apology, though it’s not needed. I enjoyed our conversation at the Crow’s Nest, a lot.” Let her imagination take what it wanted from that remark. When her cheeks darkened, I knew exactly what she was thinking, and I didn’t correct her, just let that same small smile play around my mouth.

Maybe giving into the heat’s demands and fucking her brains out wasn’t the best course of action. This, taunting her, was almost as satisfying.

“It’s not going to happen,” she insisted and I nodded, agreeing with her outwardly even though I was pretty sure she was wrong. It was her first heat, and she had so much to learn.

So much I could teach her.

Tension reigned, taut and hot, as we stared at each other. A curl of steam left her nose and Kiernan took a step back, slow, measured, because of course she didn’t want to look like she was running. Even if she was.

“Flying,” I called out before she could leave the room entirely. “Helps take the edge off. For me, anyway.” I didn’t tell her the heat was still mild right now, that the closer we got to the end of October, the worse it would get. No need to scare her, she would find out for herself soon enough.

“Thanks for the tip,” she hesitated, hand reaching behind her for the handle of the door, “Professor.”

Now who was taunting who? If she was trying to get a rise out of me, it was working. Well, one part of me in particular had risen, anyway.

Normally I might have walked her out, but if I stood right now it would be pretty apparent what my kinks were.